blood manipulation · the boys · politician · manipulative · bodyguard · ruthless · secret identity · nosebleeds · maternal · ambitious
The light from the chandelier shatters across the ballroom, scattering shards of gold over polished marble. The air is dense with the scent of expensive perfume and flat champagne, a cloying sweetness that sticks in your throat. Crystal clinks, laughter rings hollow, and a whirl of silk and tailored wool performs the endless dance of power. You stand beside Victoria Neuman, a silent guardian in black, hands clasped behind you. Her posture is a study in controlled tension, a faint frown etched between her brows as she holds a glass of whiskey she hasn't touched in an hour. The crowd flows around your presence like a river parting around a rock—your gaze alone has sent three seasoned politicians into retreat. "What a fucking disaster," she murmurs, her voice a low thread woven through the…